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'I hope we don’t have to close' | Lancaster business impacted by coronavirus

The coronavirus, which originated more nearly 8,000 miles away, is threatening a business in Lancaster.

LANCASTER, S.C. — Health officials in the Carolinas are bracing for their first local cases of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, businesses in the area have felt the impact of the virus for weeks.

With so many products we use on a daily basis coming directly from China, it was only a matter of time before goods and services we take for granted were affected.

The coronavirus, which originated more nearly 8,000 miles away, is threatening a business in Lancaster.

RELATED: North Carolina identifies first presumptive case of coronavirus

“I’ve never run into anything like this before,” Michael St John, owner of Smart Phone Repair, said.

St John’s business has fixed almost 14,000 phones over the last seven years. With proper supplies he says his store will fix 20-30 phones per day, but as production in China has slowed due to quarantine his output has decreased to 5-10 phones per day.

“It’s a concern, especially as a mom and pop business,” St John said.

Normally, St John’s shop has the parts it needs to do business, and if not they can get them the next day.

“It’s to the point where you can’t buy them [the parts],” St John said. “They’re literally nowhere.”

His business is afloat thanks to supplies he ordered in bulk in anticipation of the coronavirus’s growing impact. However, he’s still worried about his store’s future.

“It’s to the point now, where I hope we don’t have to close,” St John said.

St John says friends in the business tell him producers in China hope to be back up and running at full capacity by May.

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